To my Dying Breath
by Straggler47
Summary: Rick's group weren't the only people who escaped death when terminus was destroyed. This is the story of two survivors who find family in each other and, eventually, all the members of the group.
**Hi this is my first story I've posted so I hope you all like what I have here. It's something I've been wanting to get out there for a while. Of course I don't own anything from the walking dead or this story except my OC's. Anyway, enjoy!**

The metal storage container was entirely dark except for a small strip of light that poured through the crack in the door. The sunlight fell against a child's pale face, illuminating her emerald green eyes. She stood in front of the door, staring with sad eyes, out into an empty courtyard. She couldn't hear anything outside except the cawing of distant birds.

"It's quiet," she said suddenly, "everyone's gone inside since those new people arrived. What if no one comes out for the rest of the day?"

"Someone will come," an older girl responded from deeper inside the container. She was on her knees, cradling a sleeping mans face. She listened intently to his shallow breathing, watching the blood pour from his wounds and sweat drip down his skin.

"How is he?" The younger girl asked, her voice soft and scared.

"Alive," the other answered simply. "Don't worry about him Mel. Just keep looking for someone. Keep trying to get someone's attention."

"But Cam, they've never listened to us before. What if they don't listen to us again? He'll turn and we don't-"

"Someone will come!" Cam shouted, cutting the child off. Melissa only nodded and turned her attention back to staring outside. Cam sighed and placed a blood stained hand over the heart of the man lying before her. His heart rate was slow and labored. With each rise and fall of his chest, a wheezing breath would escape his lips. His name was Freddie she thought, or maybe Franky. It didn't really matter anymore.

Cam knew that he would slip away any moment now. His heart would finally give out and he would be entirely still for a moment before reanimating. If no one came to their container in the next few minutes, she was going to have to take that precious time between death and coming back to stomp his head in until his brain was destroyed. But she had her doubts on if she currently had the strength to pull that off. She'd stomped in the heads of the living dead before but they had been long deceased and their bodies were rotten. The decaying flesh made their heads soft and almost easy to crush beneath her feet. It had been like slamming her feet down on cantaloupes.

But now, he was going to a newly risen corpse. His skull would still be hard to fracture and his flesh still strong. It would take a lot of brut strength to take him down when he came back and Cam wasn't sure she had it in her now. She didn't have a single weapon on her and she was still exhausted from taking down the dead one that took a bite out of Freddy, or whatever his name was. That guy was lying in a pool of blood on the other side of the container. It had taken the combined strength of Cam and the now dying man to take down the other.

She and Melissa had been in this container for so long already. Neither of them were getting enough food or water to stay strong. No, they were only given just enough to stay alive. Even if one of the people who were keeping them all prisoner came and took care of Freddy, it would only be delaying the inevitable. They would be saving the girls today, only to take them and kill them another time. Even knowing that obvious truth, Cam prayed that someone would come by and save them from death today. She was praying for any extra time she could have with Melissa, even if it was time as prisoners.

"Something's happening!" Melissa cried suddenly. "I hear shouting from somewhere!" Cam stood and moved beside the younger girl. She could also hear the sound of voices in the distance. She looked through the crack and saw a small group of men walking in the courtyard. "They're coming this way!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Hey! We need help in here! Someone's been bit, he's gonna turn!" Cam called, her voice a mixture of fear and relief. Her heart pounded as the men unlatched the lock and pulled open the door. She hugged Melissa tight to her as the light poured in.

"Holy hell," one of the men muttered at the sight of the two bloody bodies in the container. Another stomped through and examined each man on the ground.

"One's dead the other's soon to be. We can't use either of 'em." He reported. He took out a large knife from his belt and plunged it into the head of the still breathing man.

"So what do we do?" Another asked.

"Grab the bigger one," he directed as he stepped out of the container. Cam's breath caught in her throat as, in an instant, Melissa was ripped from her grasp and thrown against the wall. Then, the men grabbed Cam and threw her out of the container. She crashed on to the concrete ground on her stomach and felt her eyes burn with tears as they tied her arms behind her back. As she listened to Melissa screaming her name, Cam refused to allow herself to cry. She gritted her teeth as she was hoisted back up on to her feet.

"Camilla don't leave me! Please, come back!" Melissa screamed out in vain. Cam twisted her neck to look at the girl as she was guided away by firm hands.

"Melissa stay strong! Stay strong for me!" Cam called out. The last she saw of Melissa was her tear stricken face nodding as the heavy door was closed in front of her face. Cam could still hear her high pitched cries as she was dragged towards a large building. Cam finally let the tears she'd been holding fall down her cheeks.


End file.
